Woman, Willard mayor at odds over firing

May 17, 2013

Whitney Shoffner

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A Willard Parks Department employee says she was fired without cause Tuesday, and said she has been told by the city clerk that aldermen believe she is a homosexual and don’t agree with “her lifestyle choices.”

Mayor Wendell Forshee said the decision was based only on performance.

Whitney Shoffner was informed Tuesday she’d been fired after more than three years with the city. She said she has never heard the accusations directly, but was told by city clerk Dale Duvall that alderman David Roggensees, specifically, made the comments.

Duvall said she could not comment to the News-Leader.

Forshee said Shoffner was fired because she was “nothing but a troublemaker.” He said he had never heard anyone on the board speak about Shoffner’s sexual orientation.

Several attempts to reach Roggensees at his home and office were unsuccessful. Officials contacted for comment said the city’s policy is to direct all questions to either the mayor or chief financial officer Karen Robson.

Shoffner said she did not wish to discuss her sexual orientation with the News-Leader. But she strongly denied specific criticisms she says were conveyed to her by the clerk: that she had developed sexual relationships in the workplace.

Paid about $37,000 a year, Shoffner worked for the city for more than three years and was promoted in October to be the city’s parks director. That decision was made by a former city administrator who didn’t have the authority, Forshee said. The board of alderman quickly voted to demote her. Two weeks later, the board hired J.C. Loveland to head the department, and Shoffner stayed on staff to direct sports and aquatics for the city.

The issue has sparked debate in Willard after the parks department’s Facebook account posted a message Tuesday that said: “The Willard parks department just lost the two best employees it ever had. You got wronged Amanda and Whitney! Such a political city it’s awful.”

Several supporting posts were included on the page, with several of those commenting saying they planned to pull their children out of programs and seek refunds because Shoffner had been fired.

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Amanda refers to another employee, Amanda Allen, who quit the same day.

Six other part-time employees also quit that day, Shoffner said. She said the department has only three full-time employees now — Loveland and two maintenance staff.

The parks department’s Facebook page is no longer accessible, as of Wednesday afternoon.

A message on the parks department’s website, from Loveland, said, “We are aware that our social media accounts have been compromised.” He said park operations, including summer camps, will continue as scheduled.

The firing is expected to be a topic of public discussion at a meeting Thursday evening.

Forshee said he will allow public discussion for a few people at the meeting. He said he believes Shoffner intends to have many people attend.

“But she’s not going to accomplish what she wants, I can tell you that right now,” Forshee said. “I’ll have the police there.”

Forshee said that he will not allow the meeting to be a “shouting match,” and that the police will be there to remove anyone who becomes “unruly.”

Shoffner sent a letter to the city Thursday requesting a hearing with the board.

It says, “I believe I was unfairly terminated on the basis of issues that I was not responsible for. I believe I was never warned or disciplined on any actions by the City of Willard, my direct supervisor or any board member. I believe I was terminated based on hearsay from other employees to board members.”

The letter says she plans to have an attorney present as well as “support from the community.”

Forshee said the city is not required to tell an employee why he or she is fired.

He said he sympathizes with Shoffner about her promotion and subsequent demotion last year. He said that never should have happened.

Forshee said Shoffner was a “problem child” during her time with the parks department. Shoffner said she’s never been disciplined.

Allen quit after Shoffner was fired.

She said she didn’t like the way she and Shoffner had been treated, and that Shoffner’s firing ultimately led to her leaving.

She said she believes the city’s board of alderman is “the root of the entire problem.”

Forshee said he was disappointed to see Allen quit and had asked her to reconsider.

Loveland directed all questions to Forshee.

Forshee said the city has already hired Shoffner’s replacement, but he did not release the name.